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John the Baptist 27 AD "The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." (Matthew 3:2) 27 AD "Who warned you to flee from the wrath about to come?" (Matthew 3:7) 27 AD "The axe is already laid at the root of the trees." (Matthew 3:10) 27 AD "His winnowing fork is in His hand." (Matthew 3:12) 27 AD "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 4:17) 27 AD "The kingdom of God is at hand." (Mark 1:15) 27 AD “Who warned you to flee from the wrath about to come?” (Luke 3:7) 27 AD “The axe is already laid at the root of the trees. " (Luke 3:9) 27 AD "His winnowing fork is in His hand…." (Luke 3:17) Jesus the Christ 28 AD "The kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 10:7) 28 AD "You shall not finish going through the cities of Israel, until the Son of Man comes." (Matthew 10:23) 28 AD "....the age about to come." (Matthew 12:32) 28 AD “The kingdom of God has come near to you.” (Luke 10:9) 28 AD “The kingdom of God has come near.” (Luke 10:11) 30 AD "The Son of Man is about to come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and will then recompense every man according to his deeds." (Matthew 16:27) 30 AD "There are some of those who are standing here who shall not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom." (Matthew 16:28; cf. Mark 9:1; Luke 9:27) 30 AD "'When the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?' '....He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers, who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons.' '....Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and be given to a nation producing the fruit of it.' ....When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them." (Matthew 21:40-41,43,45) 30 AD "This generation will not pass away until all these things take place." (Matthew 24:34) 30 AD "From now on, you [Caiaphas, the chief priests, the scribes, the elders, the whole Sanhedrin] shall be seeing the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven." (Matthew 26:64; Mark 14:62; Luke 22:69) 30 AD "What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vine-growers, and will give the vineyard to others. ....They [the chief priests, scribes and elders] understood that He spoke the parable against them." (Mark 12:9,12) 30 AD "This generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” (Mark 13:30) 30 AD “What, therefore, will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy these vine-growers and will give the vineyard to others." …The scribes and the chief priests …understood that He spoke this parable against them.” (Luke 20:15-16,19) 30 AD “These are days of vengeance, in order that all things which are written may be fulfilled.” (Luke 21:22) 30 AD "This generation will not pass away until all things take place.” (Luke 21:32) 30 AD "Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.' Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us,' and to the hills, 'Cover us.'” (Luke 23:28-30; Compare Revelation 6:14-17) 30 AD "I will come to you. …In that Day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.' …'Lord, what then has happened that You are about to disclose Yourself to us, and not to the world?'" (John 14:18,20,22) 30 AD "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?" (John 21:22) The Disciples 30 AD "We were hoping that He was the One who is about to redeem Israel.” (Luke 24:21) Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles 52 AD “…we who are alive, and remain until the coming of the Lord… …We who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds… …You, brethren, are not in darkness, that the Day should overtake you like a thief.” (1 Thessalonians 4:15,17; 5:4) 52 AD “May your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23) 52 AD “It is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire.” (2 Thessaloniams 1:6-7) 56 AD “The time has been shortened.” (1 Corinthians 7:29) 56 AD “The form of this world is passing away.” (1 Corinthians 7:31) 56 AD “Now these things …were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” (1 Corinthians 10:11) 56 AD “We shall not all fall sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52) 56 AD "Maranatha!" [The Lord comes!] (1 Corinthians 16:22) 56 AD “Godliness …holds promise for the present life and that which is about to come.” (1 Timothy 4:8) 56 AD “I charge you …that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Timothy 6:14) 56 AD “…storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for that which is about to come, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.” (1 Timothy 6:19) 57 AD “He has fixed a day in which He is about to judge the world in righteousness…” (Acts 17:31) 58 AD “Not for [Abraham's] sake only was it written, that [faith] was reckoned to him [as righteousness], but for our sake also, to whom it is about to be reckoned.” (Romans 4:23-24) 58 AD “If you are living according to the flesh, you are about to die.” (Romans 8:13) 58 AD “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18) 58 AD "It is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand." (Romans 13:11-12) 58 AD “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” (Romans 16:20) 60 AD “There is about to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.” (Acts 24:15) 60 AD “As he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment about to come…" (Acts 24:25) 61 AD "...not only in this age, but also in the one about to come.” (Ephesians 1:21) 61 AD “In the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self… …Avoid these men. For of these are those who enter into households and captivate weak women… …These also oppose the truth… …But they will not make further progress; for their folly will be obvious to all…” (2 Timothy 3:1-2,5-6,8-9) 61 AD “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is about to judge the living and the dead…” (2 Timothy 4:1) 62 AD “The Lord is near.” (Philippians 4:5) 62 AD "The gospel …was proclaimed in all creation under heaven." (Colossians 1:23; Compare Matthew 24:14; Romans 10:18; 16:26; Colossians 1:5-6; 2 Timothy 4:17; Revelation 14:6-7; cf. I Clement 5,7) 62 AD “…things which are a shadow of what is about to come.” (Colossians 2:16-17) 63 AD “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son.” (Hebrews 1:1-2) 63 AD “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who are about to inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14) 63 AD “He did not subject to angels the world about to come.” (Hebrews 2:5) 63 AD “…and have tasted …the powers of the age about to come.” (Hebrews 6:5) 63 AD "For ground that drinks the rain which often falls upon it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near a curse, and it's end is for burning.” (Hebrews 6:7-8) 63 AD “When He said, 'A new covenant,' He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.” (Hebrews 8:13) 63 AD “The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way of the [heavenly] Holy Places has not yet been revealed, while the outer tabernacle is still standing, which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience, since they relate only to food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until a time of reformation.” (Hebrews 9:8-10; Compare Galatians 4:19; Ephesians 2:21-22; 3:17; 4:13) 63 AD “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things about to come…” (Hebrews 9:11) 63 AD “Now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin.” (Hebrews 9:26) 63 AD “For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things about to come…” (Hebrews 10:1) 63 AD “…as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:25) 63 AD “…the fury of a fire which is about to consume the adversaries.” (Hebrews 10:27) 63 AD “For yet in a very little while, He who is coming will come, and will not delay.” (Hebrews 10:37) 63 AD “For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the one that is about to come.” (Hebrews 13:14) Peter the Apostle to the Circumcision 30 AD “This is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: 'And it shall be in the last days…'” (Acts 2:16-17) 62 AD “…salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:5) 62 AD “He …has appeared in these last times for the sake of you.” (1 Peter 1:20) 62 AD “In the last days mockers will come. …For this they willingly are ignorant of…” (1 Peter 3:3,5) 62 AD “They shall give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.” (1 Peter 4:5) 62 AD “The end of all things is at hand; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.” (1 Peter 4:7) 62 AD "For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God.” (1 Peter 4:17) 62 AD “…as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is about to be revealed.” (1 Peter 5:1) 62 AD “We have the prophetic word …which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the Day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.” (2 Peter 1:19) 62 AD “Their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.” (2 Peter 2:3) 62 AD “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God.” (2 Peter 3:10-12) James 62 AD "Speak and so act, as those who are about to be judged by the law of liberty." (James 2:12) 62 AD “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. …It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!” (James 5:1,3) 62 AD “Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.” (James. 5:7) 62 AD “You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.” (James. 5:8) Jude the brother of James 62 AD “For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation. …About these also Enoch …prophesied, saying, 'Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly…'” (Jude 1:4,14-15) 62 AD “But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, 'In the last time there shall be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.' These are the ones who cause divisions…” (Jude 1:17-19) John the Apostle whom Jesus loved 62 AD “The darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.” (1 John 2:8) 62 AD “The world is passing away, and its desires.” (1 John 2:17) 62 AD “It is the last hour.” (1 John 2:18) 62 AD “Even now many antichrists have arisen; from this we know that it is the last hour.” (1 John 2:18; Compare Matthew 24:23-34) 62 AD “This is that of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.” (1 John 4:3; Compare 2 Thessaloniams 2:7) 63 AD “…to show to His bond-servants, the things which must shortly take place.” (Revelation 1:1) 63 AD “The time is near.” (Revelation 1:3) 63 AD “Nevertheless what you have, hold fast until I come.” (Revelation 2:25) 63 AD “I also will keep you from the hour of testing which is about to come upon the whole world.” (Revelation 3:10) 63 AD “I am coming quickly.” (Revelation 3:11) 63 AD “And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is about to rule all the nations with a rod of iron.” (Revelation 12:5) 63 AD "And in her [the Great City Babylon] was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth." (Revelation 18:24; Compare Matthew 23:35-36; Luke 11:50-51) 63 AD “…to show to His bond-servants the things which must shortly take place.” (Revelation 22:6) 63 AD "Behold, I am coming quickly. " (Revelation 22:7) 63 AD "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near." (Revelation 22:10; Compare Daniel 8:26) 63 AD "Behold, I am coming quickly.” (Revelation 22:12) 63 AD "Yes, I am coming quickly." (Revelation 22:20)

70-1070AD Last Day-MILLENNIUM = Middle Age(s) = Sabbath Day of the Lord = the Last Day

THIS VIEW IS BEING RECONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF EQUATING

"THE DAY OF THE LORD" WITH "THE 1,000 YEARS" OF REV 20:1-10

AS 2 PETER 3:8 SEEMS TO HINT TOWARD.

I PLAN TO UPDATE SOME OF ITS WORDING.

I am not completely satisfied with my efforts here and post this in the hope of cajoling along further study by others more qualified. However, this remains the most attractive approach to me concerning Revelation 20:1-10's "1,000 Years." While seriously entertaining the view of my Covenant Eschatology/Modern Preterist critics, it dawned upon me afresh the idea that Revelation 20:1-10's "1,000 Years" may be just another way of saying "The Day of the Lord" per 2 Peter 3:8 and Ps 90:4. And that those very same verses suggest with equal force that "The Day of the Lord" is an actual 1,000 years of human history. Which brings me right back to consider the approach below. Does not all eschatology ultimately revolve about "The Day of the Lord" ? ~jwr

I continue to find it attractive to entertain the idea that "The 1,000 Years," like the rest of Rev 18-22, is directly associated with the Fall of Babylon aka Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Consequently, "The 1,000 Years" have their beginning circa Babylon/Jerusalem’s A.D. 70 Fall alongside all the other events that Revelation 18-22 envision. If 2 Peter 3:8 can be taken to hint that "The Day of the Lord" = "The 1,000 Years" of Rev 20, then it also is taken to mean that "The 1,000 Years" is the amount of of actual time "The Day of the Lord" encompasses.

2 Peter 3:8

8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years , and a thousand years as one day.

NASB

This can also be expressed in this wise:

But do not let this one hint get by you, my friend, that "The Day of the Lord" = "The 1,000 Years," and a 1,000 years span the "Day."

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The book of Revelation is regarded as series of visions. In the passages following The Fall of Babylon the Great, each "THEN I SAW" and "THEN I HEARD" is a mini-vision describing a DIRECT CONSEQUENCE OF BABYLON'S FALL, ie. the destruction of ancient, Old Covenant Jerusalem in 70ad. These are the reason why there is so much celebration & rejoicing over Babylon's Fall.

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Revelation 18:1-2-3After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. 2 With a mighty voice he shouted:"Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! " ... [the immediate consequences of Babylon's Fall are hereafter described].

Revelation 18:4-24 "Then I heard ..."[more immediate consequences of Babylon's Fall described from another perspective...].

Revelation 19:1-10 "After this I heard ... " [still more immediate consequences of Babylon's Fall described from still another view point...].

Revelation 20:1-10 [and once again, more of the consequential aftermath of the Fall of Babylon is detailed below.... The Millennium = The first 1,000 years of the New Heavens & New Earth which are described in greater detail in yet more "And I saw" mini-visions hereafter...]20:1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time..

4 I saw[consequences of Babylon's Fall] thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge..

And I saw [consequences of Babylon's Fall]the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. 7 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth — Gog and Magog — to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. 9 They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, The City He loves [i.e.-the hitherto described New Jerusalem]. BUT FIRE CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN AND DEVOURED them. 10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

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Revelation 20:11-15Then I saw [consequences of Babylon's Fall]a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them.

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12 And I saw [consequences of Babylon's Fall]the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 4 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

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Revelation 21:1-3 - Rev. 22:5Now I saw [consequences of Babylon's Fall]a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.

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2 Then I, John, saw [consequences of Babylon's Fall]the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. ...NKJV

OBSERVATIONS1) The Text of Revelation itself makes abundantly obvious that the 1,000 years follow the Fall of Babylon - described as being one of its direct consequences. If we cannot be shown to grasp such straightforward communication as that, then we needlessly forfeit much credibility on any other timing issue, including that of the Lord's Return. It has been shown by many capable commentators that Revelation's "Babylon" = Old Covenant Jerusalem. Presently popular attempts, (among some preterists), to stuff the 1,000+ years that follow the Fall of Babylon (aka ancient Jerusalem) into the 40 years that precede it will never work alongside the preterist insistence that "time statements" be taken seriously, (not to mention the "expectation statements" and faithfulness to the actual Text). This awkward attempt only serves to undercut preterist credibility, leaving us all exposed to the rightful charge of hypocrisy regarding our stance about "time statements."

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2) Someone might say, "I think the 1,000 years are just a metaphor." Regardless of whether one considers the 1,000 years as a metaphor or not, it follows the destruction of Jerusalem, being a divinely ordained direct consequence thereof. Would one dare to dismiss the prophecies regarding the life & death of Jesus Christ as "just a metaphor?" What of the prophecies regarding the ministry of John the Baptist? Did not God deliver fulfillments that entered the history books? Fulfillments that men could handle and know? Fulfillments that impacted the lives of earthbound men, being witnessed by them? Whatever metaphors are employed in Revelation, they have impact of historic proportions, recognisable in history itself. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." They shall at least see God's hand in history.

Someone else may suggest, "We need to look at the millennium from a heavenly rather than an earthly perspective." Perhaps, but why not do both? Who says we can only view things from one side? Since these words were delivered by our Heavenly Father to us living upon the Earth, and that He has come and made his dwelling among men, these words will definitely have components that are detectable by earthbound men, as well. And if we demand these fulfillments be seen from God's perspective, remember again, He has made His home in and among us: "Behold, the dwelling of God is with men!" (Rev 21:3). We are the Temple of God. He dwells within us. He looks out there through our eyes, albeit, with perfect understanding. But that is an understanding He wishes us to attain. "Be ye perfect therefore, ... "

Another may rush over my words here and then twist, exaggerate, and misunderstand saying, "I don't think Revelation 20 is sequential." The same will go on to assert that the New Heavens, New Earth, & New Jerusalem appear AFTER the 1,000 years are ended. Why should anyone bother to lift a typing finger to refute him? He contradicts himself.

Let us not be such individuals that selectively -and thereby erroneously- apply Bible interpretation techniques in order to dodge the weight of Biblical meaning & message, or to preserve brownie-points with seemingly well-regarded men, whoever they are -God alone really knows. Rather, let us humble ourselves before each fellow Christian, ready of mind to possibly learn something, learn something from the Word of God, from Christ our Teacher. We all have some things to share because the Holy Spirit works through each of us as He wills, and for the same reason we all have some things to learn. But no man but Jesus Christ has it all.

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3) The above two points firmly stand whether or not what follows is valued. It was this very subject that drew me to the preterist view to begin with: If one is to go fishing into the deep, dark waters of distant history for anything remotely resembling prophecy fulfillment, it seems reasonable to begin looking for a big fish such as a 1,000 year period characterized by Christian rule. I was drawn to investigate the possibility that the 1,000 years might be equated with what historians commonly refer to as the 1,000 years of the Middle Age during which today's major world powers were discipled, Christianized.

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It was engaging to discover how violently out of control and dark things got in the, (by comparison to what they just had enjoyed), "Dark Ages" that followed the Middle Ages and preceeded the Reformation/Rennaissance (French, "Rebirth"), Age of Discovery of the New World, and the dawn of Modern Science and Modern times. Then I read in St. Augustine's City of God (circa ~425ad) and Eusebius' Church History (circa ~325ad) and Phillip Schaff's (a preterist) History of the Christian Church and find that: during the Middle Ages most Christians believed that they were living during of the Millenium (this is one reason why they also believed that saintly martyrs were being resurrected and attaining delegated powers over Creation from the reigning Christ). They antipated that all hell would break loose again at the end of their Millenium which was to end, according to their calculations, at 1000AD. Had they acquired the fortitude of faith to recognise the full prophetic ramifications of Jerusalem's 70AD destruction coupled with Jesus' insistent teaching to His generation that "this generation shall not pass away till all these things are fulfilled", (Mat 24:34), they would have adjusted their calculations to expect the end of their era to end around 1070AD rather than 1000AD.

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